Papilio machaon – Papilionidae – The Old world Swallowtail In copula: This position is called “in wheel” when it comes to dragonflies but for anything alse, butterflies included it is simple copulation or mating! Anyway aren’t they magnificent?! Miroir de Machaons – On appelle la copulation de la libellule un “cÅ“ur copulatoire”….. expression très raffinée, […]
Tag: France
Red kite up close
Mivus milvus – Accipitriformes – Accitridae – Their population is very low compared to that of the Black kite. Only 2500 to 3000 couples are known in France and 20 000 elsewhere, mostly in Europe. Their wingspan exceeds easily 1.50 m; as with almost all other raptors the female is the largest. I feel quite […]
Brand new antlers!
Capreolus capreolus – Cervidae – Capreolinae – European roe deer: a few photos after long waits in the hide in vain. This is a male moulting into his summer coat and his antlers have just lost the winter velvet. Deers are related to goats, hence the latin name capreolus; one can notice that the antlers […]
The European sparrowhawk digesting his latest meal!
Accipiter nisus male – Accipitridae – Accipitriformes – He remained at 3 meters from me for exactly 22 minutes, calculated on the timing from the first pic to the last! Il s’est écoulé 22 minutesentre la première et la dernière photo de cet épisode où il est resté là !!Il digérait tranquillement son dernier repas… il […]
European Roe Deer: spring moult!
Capreolus capreolus – Cervidae – Capreolinae – as all mammals deers moult twice a year, in spring and in autumn; from darkish brown the hair will turn a bright orangey colour in a few weeks from now: Comme beaucoup de mammifères, nos chien inclus, les chevreuils muent 2 fois par an, au printemps et à […]
The Great spotted woodpecker in the snow
Dendrocopos major – Picidae – Piciformes – Quite an unusual snow episode in the south of France on this 13th of march 2013. Here, this male was pecking at the tree, casting snow flakes around:
The Great spotted woodpecker
A mouse, a monkey! I wait for him in the morning, he arrives in the afternoon; I expect him on the right; he shows up on the left! As I align the lens on him, he rushes to the right. Anyhow, here he is!
Birds under the snow
Passeriformes – Coccothraustes coccothraustes – Yes, it happens in the south of France too! So I thought it would be nice to try “shooting” our feathered friends with dancing snowflakes!